Measure for Measure E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: Sovereign
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Serie: Timeless Classic
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 116

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Set in Vienna, the play's main themes include justice, mortality and mercy. The story starts with Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, makes it known that he intends to leave the city on a diplomatic mission. He leaves the government in the hands of a strict judge, Angelo.

Leseprobe

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Measure for Measure

LONDON ∙ NEW YORK ∙ TORONTO ∙ SAO PAULO ∙ MOSCOW

PARIS ∙ MADRID ∙ BERLIN ∙ ROME ∙ MEXICO CITY ∙ MUMBAI ∙ SEOUL ∙ DOHA

TOKYO ∙ SYDNEY ∙ CAPE TOWN ∙ AUCKLAND ∙ BEIJING

New Edition

Published by Sovereign Classic

www.sovereignclassic.net

This Edition

First published in 2015

Copyright © 2015 Sovereign Classic

Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

ACT IV

ACT V

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

VINCENTIO, the Duke

ANGELO, the Deputy

ESCALUS, an ancient Lord

CLAUDIO, a young gentleman

LUCIO, a fantastic

Two other like Gentlemen

VARRIUS, a gentleman, servant to the Duke

PROVOST

THOMAS, friar

PETER, friar

A JUSTICE

ELBOW, a simple constable

FROTH, a foolish gentleman

POMPEY, a clown and servant to Mistress Overdone

ABHORSON, an executioner

BARNARDINE, a dissolute prisoner

ISABELLA, sister to Claudio

MARIANA, betrothed to Angelo

JULIET, beloved of Claudio

FRANCISCA, a nun

MISTRESS OVERDONE, a bawd

Lords, Officers, Citizens, Boy, and Attendants

SCENE: Vienna

ACT I

SCENE I. AN APARTMENT IN THE DUKE’S PALACE.

Enter DUKE VINCENTIO, ESCALUS, Lords and Attendants

DUKE VINCENTIO

Escalus.

ESCALUS

My lord.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Of government the properties to unfold,Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse;Since I am put to know that your own scienceExceeds, in that, the lists of all adviceMy strength can give you: then no more remains,But that to your sufficiency as your Worth is able,And let them work. The nature of our people,Our city’s institutions, and the termsFor common justice, you’re as pregnant inAs art and practise hath enriched anyThat we remember. There is our commission,From which we would not have you warp. Call hither,I say, bid come before us Angelo.

Exit an Attendant

What figure of us think you he will bear?For you must know, we have with special soulElected him our absence to supply,Lent him our terror, dress’d him with our love,And given his deputation all the organsOf our own power: what think you of it?

ESCALUS

If any in Vienna be of worthTo undergo such ample grace and honour,It is Lord Angelo.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Look where he comes.

Enter ANGELO

ANGELO

Always obedient to your grace’s will,I come to know your pleasure.

DUKE VINCENTIO

Angelo,There is a kind of character in thy life,That to the observer doth thy historyFully unfold. Thyself and thy belongingsAre not thine own so proper as to wasteThyself upon thy virtues, they on thee.Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,Not light them for themselves; for if our virtuesDid not go forth of us, ‘twere all alikeAs if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch’dBut to fine issues, nor Nature never lendsThe smallest scruple of her excellenceBut, like a thrifty goddess, she determinesHerself the glory of a creditor,Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speechTo one that can my part in him advertise;Hold therefore, Angelo:--In our remove be thou at full ourself;Mortality and mercy in ViennaLive in thy tongue and heart: old Escalus,Though first in question, is thy secondary.Take thy commission.

ANGELO

Now, good my lord,Let there be some more test made of my metal,Before so noble and so great a figureBe stamp’d upon it.

DUKE VINCENTIO

No more evasion:We have with a leaven’d and prepared choiceProceeded to you; therefore take your honours.Our haste from hence is of so quick conditionThat it prefers itself and leaves unquestion’dMatters of needful value. We shall write to you,As time and our concernings shall importune,How it goes with us, and do look to knowWhat doth befall you here. So, fare you well;To the hopeful execution do I leave youOf your commissions.

ANGELO

Yet give leave, my lord,That we may bring you something on the way.

DUKE VINCENTIO

My haste may not admit it;Nor need you, on mine honour, have to doWith any scruple; your scope is as mine ownSo to enforce or qualify the lawsAs to your soul seems good. Give me your hand:I’ll privily away. I love the people,But do not like to stage me to their eyes:Through it do well, I do not relish wellTheir loud applause and Aves vehement;Nor do I think the man of safe discretionThat does affect it. Once more, fare you well.

ANGELO

The heavens give safety to your purposes!

ESCALUS

Lead forth and bring you back in happiness!

DUKE

I thank you. Fare you well.

Exit

ESCALUS

I shall desire you, sir, to give me leaveTo have free speech with you; and it concerns meTo look into the bottom of my place:A power I have, but of what strength and natureI am not yet instructed.

ANGELO

‘Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together,And we may soon our satisfaction haveTouching that point.

ESCALUS

I’ll wait upon your honour.

Exeunt

SCENE II. A STREET.

Enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen

LUCIO

If the duke with the other dukes come not tocomposition with the King of Hungary, why then allthe dukes fall upon the king.

First Gentleman

Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King ofHungary’s!

Second Gentleman

Amen.

LUCIO

Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, thatwent to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scrapedone out of the table.

Second Gentleman

‘Thou shalt not steal’?

LUCIO

Ay, that he razed.

First Gentleman

Why, ‘twas a commandment to command the captain andall the rest from their functions: they put forthto steal. There’s not a soldier of us all, that, inthe thanksgiving before meat, do relish the petitionwell that prays for peace.

Second Gentleman

I never heard any soldier dislike it.

LUCIO

I believe thee; for I think thou never wast wheregrace was said.

Second Gentleman

No? a dozen times at least.

First Gentleman

What, in metre?

LUCIO

In any proportion or in any language.

First Gentleman

I think, or in any religion.

LUCIO

Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of allcontroversy: as, for example, thou thyself art awicked villain, despite of all grace.

First Gentleman

Well, there went but a pair of shears between us.

LUCIO

I grant; as there may between the lists and thevelvet. Thou art the list.

First Gentleman

And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou’rta three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as liefbe a list of an English kersey as be piled, as thouart piled, for a French velvet. Do I speakfeelingly now?

LUCIO

I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painfulfeeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine ownconfession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst Ilive, forget to drink after thee.

First Gentleman

I think I have done myself wrong, have I not?

Second Gentleman

Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free.

LUCIO

Behold, behold. where Madam Mitigation comes! Ihave purchased as many diseases under her roof as come to--

Second Gentleman

To what, I pray?

LUCIO

Judge.

Second Gentleman

To three thousand dolours a year.

First Gentleman

Ay, and more.

LUCIO

A French crown more.

First Gentleman

Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thouart full of error; I am sound.

LUCIO

Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound asthings that are hollow: thy bones are hollow;impiety has made a feast of thee.

Enter MISTRESS OVERDONE

First Gentleman

How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica?

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Well, well; there’s one yonder arrested and carriedto prison was worth five thousand of you all.

Second Gentleman

Who’s that, I pray thee?

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Marry, sir, that’s Claudio, Signior Claudio.

First Gentleman

Claudio to prison? ‘tis not so.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Nay, but I know ‘tis so: I saw him arrested, sawhim carried away; and, which is more, within thesethree days his head to be chopped off.

LUCIO

But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so.Art thou sure of this?

MISTRESS OVERDONE

I am too sure of it: and it is for getting MadamJulietta with child.

LUCIO

Believe me, this may be: he promised to meet me twohours since, and he was ever precise inpromise-keeping.

Second Gentleman

Besides, you know, it draws something near to thespeech we had to such a purpose.

First Gentleman

But, most of all, agreeing with the proclamation.

LUCIO

Away! let’s go learn the truth of it.

Exeunt LUCIO and Gentlemen

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, whatwith the gallows and what with poverty, I amcustom-shrunk.

Enter POMPEY

How now! what’s the news with you?

POMPEY

Yonder man is carried to prison.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Well; what has he done?

POMPEY

A woman.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

But what’s his offence?

POMPEY

Groping for trouts in a peculiar river.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

What, is there a maid with child by him?

POMPEY

No, but there’s a woman with maid by him. You havenot heard of the proclamation, have you?

MISTRESS OVERDONE

What proclamation, man?

POMPEY

All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

And what shall become of those in the city?

POMPEY

They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too,but that a wise burgher put in for them.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs bepulled down?

POMPEY

To the ground, mistress.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

Why, here’s a change indeed in the commonwealth!What shall become of me?

POMPEY

Come; fear you not: good counsellors lack noclients: though you change your place, you need notchange your trade; I’ll be your tapster still.Courage! there will be pity taken on you: you thathave worn your eyes almost out in the service, youwill be considered.

MISTRESS OVERDONE

What’s to do here, Thomas tapster? let’s withdraw.

POMPEY

Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost toprison; and there’s Madam Juliet.

Exeunt

Enter Provost, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and Officers

CLAUDIO

Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world?Bear me to prison, where I am committed.

Provost

I do it not in evil disposition,But from Lord Angelo by special charge.

CLAUDIO

Thus can the demigod AuthorityMake us pay down for our offence by weightThe words of heaven; on whom it will, it will;On whom it will not, so; yet still ‘tis just.

Re-enter LUCIO and two Gentlemen

LUCIO

Why, how now, Claudio! whence comes this restraint?

CLAUDIO

From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty:As surfeit is the father of much fast,So every scope by the immoderate useTurns to restraint. Our natures do pursue,Like rats that ravin down their proper bane,A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die.

LUCIO

If could speak so wisely under an arrest, I wouldsend for certain of my creditors: and yet, to saythe truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedomas the morality of imprisonment. What’s thyoffence, Claudio?

CLAUDIO

What but to speak of would offend again.

LUCIO

What, is’t murder?

CLAUDIO

No.

LUCIO

Lechery?

CLAUDIO

Call it so.

Provost

Away, sir! you must go.

CLAUDIO

One word, good friend. Lucio, a word with you.

LUCIO

A hundred, if they’ll do you any good.Is lechery so look’d after?

CLAUDIO

Thus stands it with me: upon a true contractI got possession of Julietta’s bed:You know the lady; she is fast my wife,Save that we do the denunciation lackOf outward order: this we came not to,Only for propagation of a dowerRemaining in the coffer of her friends,From whom we thought it meet to hide our loveTill time had made them for us. But it chancesThe stealth of our most mutual entertainmentWith character too gross is writ on Juliet.

LUCIO

With child, perhaps?

CLAUDIO

Unhappily, even so.And the new deputy now for the duke--Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness,Or whether that the body public beA horse whereon the governor doth ride,Who, newly in the seat, that it may knowHe can command, lets it straight feel the spur;Whether the tyranny be in his place,Or in his emmence that fills it up,I stagger in:--but this new governorAwakes me all the enrolled penaltiesWhich have, like unscour’d armour, hung by the wallSo long that nineteen zodiacs have gone roundAnd none of them been worn; and, for a name,Now puts the drowsy and neglected actFreshly on me: ‘tis surely for a name.

LUCIO

I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle onthy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love,may sigh it off. Send after the duke and appeal tohim.

CLAUDIO

I have done so, but he’s not to be found.I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service:This day my sister should the cloister enterAnd there receive her approbation:Acquaint her with the danger of my state:Implore her, in my voice, that she make friendsTo the strict deputy; bid herself assay him:I have great hope in that; for in her youthThere is a prone and speechless dialect,Such as move men; beside, she hath prosperous artWhen she will play with reason and discourse,And well she can persuade.

LUCIO

I pray she may; as well for the encouragement of thelike, which else would stand under grievousimposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who Iwould be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at agame of tick-tack. I’ll to her.

CLAUDIO

I thank you, good friend Lucio.

LUCIO

Within two hours.

CLAUDIO

Come, officer, away!

Exeunt

SCENE III. A MONASTERY.

Enter DUKE VINCENTIO and FRIAR THOMAS

DUKE VINCENTIO

No, holy father; throw away that thought;Believe not that the dribbling dart of loveCan pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire theeTo give me secret harbour, hath a purposeMore grave and wrinkled than the aims and endsOf burning youth.